LifeSpec II Upgrades

The upgrade options are modifications or additions to the main body of the LifeSpec II. All upgrades are best installed at the time of manufacture, but they can also be retro-fitted by a qualified service engineer during an on-site visit.

All the standard features of the LifeSpec II are retained when an upgrade option has been added. Many of the options can be combined allowing for outstanding flexibility for an instrument of this class.

Lasers & LEDs Upgrades

Excitation Sources

Picosecond Pulsed Diode Lasers and LEDs: We manufacture a range of picosecond pulsed laser diodes (EPL Series) and LEDs (EPLED Series) for Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) measurements. Diodes are available over the UV-VIS spectrum starting at 250 nm and are pre-set with a range of repetition frequencies. The driver electronics are built into the light sources, making them easier to share between colleagues.

Ti:Sapphire Laser Integration: Radiation of Ti:Sapphire lasers with frequency doubling/tripling and pulse picker can be used for sample excitation. A trigger pick-up accesory can also be supplied. A Ti:Sapphire laser for TCSPC measurements can provide a short pulse width, high repetition rate (~80 MHz) and tunability.

SuperContinuum Laser Integration: A supercontinuum laser can be fitted with a special wavelength selection package that allows computer controlled wavelength and spectral bandwidth selection. This package also has an integrated and optimised laser synchronisation trigger pick-up.

Sample Holder Options

Liquids

Single Cuvette Holder: Temperature adjustable by water/coolant circulation, fitted with integrated probe for sample temperature monitoring by spectrometer operating software. Filter slots provided for holding 50 mm square filters. This sample holder is included as part of the standard system.

Powders, Thin-Films and Solids

Front-Face Sample Holders: A range of single position front-face sample holders are available for powders, thin-films and solids. These include linear staged holders, rotational holders and clamps. Please contact us for more information.

Temperature Control Options

Bath/Refrigerator (-10°C – +100°C): Closed cycle water/coolant bath to be used with water-cooled sample holders. The temperature range is -10°C to +100°C. The unit comprises digital display of set and measured temperature. The temperature range at the sample position can be reduced depending on the length and the insulation of the coolant pipes used.

Note: Special cryostat versions with windows arranged in T or X-geometry are available on request.

TE Cooled Sample Holder Standard Range (-10°C – +105°C): Thermoelectrically cooled 4-window cuvette holder with controller that enables stable temperature control of samples from -10°C to +105°C (-10°C with dry gas flow, 5°C without gas flow). The temperature can be held constant with ±0.02°C precision and can be rapidly changed. A magnetic stirrer (without stirrer bars) is included. The TE cooled sample holder is fully controlled by the spectrometer operating software F980.

TE Cooled Sample Holder Extended Range (-40°C – +150°C): Extended range thermoelectrically cooled 4-window cuvette holder with controller that enables stable temperature control of samples from -40 °C to +150 °C (-10 °C with dry gas flow, 5 °C without gas flow). The temperature can be held constant with ±0.02°C precision and can be rapidly changed. The temperature range can be extended below -10°C and above +150°C with a special cover in place and for temperatures below -10°C chilled coolant fluid will be required. A magnetic stirrer (without stirrer bars) is included. The TE cooled sample holder is fully controlled by the spectrometer operating software F980.

Detector Upgrades

Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs)

Single photon counting detectors comprise a single photon counting photomultiplier, together with an optimised dynode chain, mounted in a light tight cooled or un-cooled housing. The detectors include the coupling flange with the adaptive optics for direct compatibility with all of Edinburgh Instruments’ spectrometers.

The following PMTs are available: Standard PMTs up to 1010 nm, High speed PMTs up to 850 nm, MCP-PMT up to 850 nm, NIR-PMTs up to 1700 nm and gated PMTs.

Polarisation/Anisotropy

Standard Range (220 nm – 900 nm): Glan Thompson polarising prism. Spectral range 220 nm – 900 nm. The polariser can be manually moved into or out of the beam. The position is recognised by the computer. When in the beam, the polarisation angle is fully computer controlled. Automated anisotropy measurements are possible if both excitation and emission polarisers are present.

Extended Range (240 nm – 2300 nm): Glan Thompson polarising prism. Spectral range 240 nm – 2300 nm. The polariser can be manually moved into or out of the beam. The position is recognised by the computer. When in the beam, the polarisation angle is fully computer controlled. Automated anisotropy measurements are possible if both excitation and emission polarisers are present.

Software Upgrade

The standard F980 software package can be upgraded to include the FAST software package. This is used for advanced fluorescence lifetime analysis and includes features such as lifetime distribution analysis and exponential components analysis. Please click on the link to learn more about FAST software or contact us directly.